Dual-mode shifter for automatic transmissions

ABSTRACT

An automatic transmission having a shift arm which pivots to shift the transmission into various speed ranges is provided with apparatus for pivoting the arm accurately and rapidly and in increments upon repeated sequential displacement of a master shift lever in one direction. One end of the shift arm of the transmission is connected to a primary shift lever through an indexing assembly, and the other end of the shift arm is connected to a secondary shift lever. The master lever is selectively coupled with either the primary or the secondary shift lever; when coupled with the secondary lever the master lever shifts the transmission in the conventional mode; when coupled with the primary lever the master lever shifts the transmission in a rapid shift or racing mode. The indexing assembly includes a housing which slidably mounts a slide element connected to the shift arm and a pawl mounted in a carriage which slides alongside the slide element for gripping the slide element and displacing it longitudinally to pivot the arm. The pawl is connected through linkage to the primary lever and sequentially engages recesses in the slide element to move with the slide and carriage predetermined distances when the master lever is pivoted in one direction. Stop means is provided in the housing to arrest movement of the slide element upon completion of a shift. The master lever is normally biased into an initial position by means of a spring which also operates to disengage the pawl from the slide element in preparation for a succeeding shift.

United States Patet [1 .1

Bieber 51 Apr. 24, 1973 DUAL-MODE SHIFTER FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS[76] Inventor: William J. Bieber, R.D. No. 1,

Pipersville, Pa. 18947 [22] Filed: Nov. 3, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 195,149

[52] U.S. Cl. ..74/473 R v [51] Int. Cl. ..G05g 7/08 [58] Field ofSearch ..74/473 R, 475, 476,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,465,6l2 9/1969 Letwin etal ..74/473 R 3,665,775 lO/l972 Freeman ..74/473 R PrimaryExaminer-Milton Kaufman Att0rneyDexter N. Shaw et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An automatic transmission having a shift arm which pivotsto shift the transmission into various speed ranges is provided withapparatus for pivoting the arm accurately and rapidly and in incrementsupon repeated sequential displacement of a master shift lever in onedirection. One end of the shift arm of the transmission is connected toa primary shift lever through an indexing assembly, and the other end ofthe shift arm is connected to a secondary shift lever. The master leveris selectively coupled with either the primary or the secondary shiftlever; when coupled with the secondary lever the master lever shifts thetransmission in the conventional mode; when coupled with the primarylever the master lever shifts the transmission in a rapid shift orracing mode. The indexing assembly includes a housing which slidablymounts a slide element connected to the shift arm and a pawl mounted ina carriage which slides alongside the slide element for gripping theslide element and displacing it longitudinally to pivot the arm. Thepawl is connected through linkage to the primary lever and sequentiallyengages recesses in, the slide element to move with the slide andcarriage predetermined distances when the master lever is pivoted in onedirection. Stop means is provided in, the housing to ar rest movement ofthe slide element upon completion of a shift. The master lever isnormally biased into an initial position by means of a spring which alsooperates to disengage the pawl from the slide element in preparationfor'a succeeding shift.

18 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 24 I973 sum 2 OF 2 DUAL-MODESHIFTER FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS The present invention relates toshifters, and more particularly, the present invention relates toshifters for use with automatic automobile transmissions to effect rapidshifting of the transmission into increasing speed ranges, such asduring racing.

At present, shifters are available for effecting rapid changes in thegear ratios of an automobile transmission upon actuation ofa shiftlever. An example ofsuch' a shifter which is useful in conjunction witha conventional manual transmission is disclosed in my US. Pat. No.3,456,522. Another example of a shifter of this type is disclosed in myU.S. Pat. No. 3,636,793. Although each of these shifters operatessatisfactorily when used with a manual transmission, they are notcapable of being employed satisfactorily to shift an automatictransmission.

Examples of shifters capable of being used with automatic transmissionsare disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,570,320 and RE 26,884. These shiftersoperate to prevent inadvertent overshifting or undershifting of thetransmission into undesired ranges while the shift lever is beingoperated rapidly by a driver during racing. Such inadvertent impropershifting is to be avoided because of the possibility of damaging theautomatic transmission. Although these shifters may operatesatisfactorily, neither is of such simple but rugged construction as tobe capable of being manufactured by low cost, mass productiontechniques.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of the presentinvention to provide for automatic transmissions a shifter which iscapable of shifting the transmission in the customary manner and whichis capable of shifting the transmission rapidly when placed in a rapidshift or racing mode.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatictransmission shifter which operates to shift the transmission intoincreasing speed ranges upon sequential displacement of a master shiftlever in a single direction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shifterhaving primary and secondary shift levers which are connected to a shiftarm on a transmission and which are selectively coupled to a mastershift lever, and wherein the primary lever is connected to the shift armthrough anindexing assembly operable to pivot the shift arm only in onedirection when the master lever is coupled with the primary lever andpivoted.

As a still further object, the present invention provides an automatictransmission shifter which prevents shifting of the transmission intoreverse during rapid upshifting of the transmission and which preventsshifting of the transmission into a speed range other than the one intovfiiich it was last shifted by the master lever during uncoupling of themaster lever from the primary shift lever and coupling with thesecondary lever.

More specifically, the present invention provides a shifter for use withan automatic automobile transmission to shift the transmission in eithera conventional mode or a racing mode where rapid upshifting capabilitiesare required. The shifter comprises a primary shift lever which iscoupled through an indexing assembly to one end of a pivotable shift armon a transmission by linkage and a secondary shift lever which iscoupled by a linkage to the other end of the shift arm. A master shiftlever is mounted in a frame to pivot relative to the shift levers and isselectively coupled to either shift lever by means ofa selector. Theselector includes a pin biased into a recess in the upper end of theprimary and secondary shift levers and an operator on the master shiftlever for engaging and disengaging the pin from the recesses. Theindexing assembly includes a slide element connected to the shift armand having a series of recesses corresponding to forward transmissionspeed ranges. A carriage is mounted to slide alongside the slide elementin a housing, a pawl is pivotally mounted in the carriage and isconnected through a linkage to the primary shift lever. Stop means isprovided to limit the movement of the carriage, and hence, the slide inthe housing upon completion of a shift. There is provided means to biasthe pawl out of engagement with the recesses and the primary lever intoa ready position. Also provided is a means for preventing inertia forceson the slide element from disengaging the pawl from the slide elementand a means for preventing the shifter from shifting the transmissioninto reverse when in the racing mode. When the master lever is coupledby the selector pin to the primary lever, pivotal movement of the masterlever in one direction causes the pawl to pivot and engage in one of therecesses in the slide for displacing the slide longitudinally and thecarriage against the stop to pivot the shift arm a sufficient distanceto upshift the transmission into an increased speed range. Thepawldisengages the slide and the master lever returns to a readyposition when released. When the master lever is coupled to thesecondary shift lever, the slide element slides freely in the housing asthe master lever is pivoted to shift the transmission in theconventional mode and into reverse and park positions. A

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention should become apparent from the following description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a shifter embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the shifter illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a primary and secondary shiftlever employed in the shifter of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a pawl and carriage assemblywhich is illustrated in section in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 dual modeshifting apparatus 10 for use with a conventional automatic automobiletransmission 11. The transmission II has a shift arm 12 which isnormally located alongside the transmission housing and which pivots ona horizontal axis and in both the clockwise and counterclockwisedirections to change the output speed ranges of the transmission. In thepresent instance, the shift arm 12 is illustrated in a positioncorresponding to the first or low range of the transmission, and pivotalmovement of the shift arm in the increments in the clockwise directionabout its axis shifts the transmission through intermediate second,third, and neutral ranges and into a reverse and a park position. Thesepositions are indicated in an are around the pivot axis of the shaft 12.Although the shift arm 12 in the illustrated embodiment is disposedsubstantially vertically when the transmission 11 is in the first rangeposition, it should be understood that the disposition of the shiftlever for any given speed range does not affect the operability of theshifter 10. In some circumstances, it is preferable for the shift arm tobe disposed vertically when in the neutral range so that shifting of thetransmission occurs when the arm 12 is pivoted in either direction fromthe vertical. Preferably, the shift arm 12 is releasably fastened to itspivot shift to permit its adjustment into any desired position for anygiven transmission setting.

The third position corresponds to the drive range of the transmission,and when the shift arm 12 is placed in that position beforeaccelerating, the transmission upshifts automatically through first andsecond ranges. It is noted, however, that when the shift arm 12 isplaced in either the second or third ranges, the transmission is lockedin those ranges and will not automatically upshift. Hence, this type ofautomatic transmission is particularly suited for competition drivingwhere it is desirable for the driver of the automobile to be able toshift the transmission at will from first through third ranges inresponse to engine speed, vehicle acceleration or like indicia ofperformance.

For the purpose of pivoting the shift arm 12, the shifting apparatus ismounted to the floor 13 of an automobile in the drivers compartment. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the shift apparatus 10 comprises a mastershift lever 14 and a secondary shift lever 15 bothmounted to pivot on acommon axis in a plate-like frame 16 bolted or otherwise secured to thefloor 13 (see FIG. 4). The master shift lever 14 is coupled to thesecondary shift lever 15 by means of a selector pin 17 which extendstransversely to the pivot planes of the shift levers l4 and 15 and whichslides in elongated slots 14a, 14a extending radially outward from thepivot axis of the master lever 14 in bifurcations 14b, 1412 on the lowerend of the master lever 14. As best seen in FIG. 4, the bifurcations 14band 14b straddle the secondary lever 15 and the frame 16, and the commonpivot axis for both the master lever 14 and the secondary lever 15 isprovided by means of a shouldered bolt 18.

In order to couple the master shift lever 14 with the secondary lever 15by means of the selector pin 17, an upwardly open recess 15a is providedin the upper end of the secondary lever 15 for receiving the selectorpin 17. In order to connect the secondary lever 15 to the transmissionshift arm 12, an elongated link 19 is connected to and between the lowerend of the lever 15 and the upper end of the arm 12. Thus, when themaster lever 14 is coupled by means ofthe selector pin 17 to thesecondary lever 15 and the master lever is pivoted in thecounterclockwise direction from the position illustrated in FIG. 1, thetransmission is shifted from first through neutral and into reverse andpark ranges.

In order to provide a means for indicating the speed range in which thetransmission has been placed by the master shift lever 14, the frame 16is planar and is provided with an irregular outline defining a series ofpositioning surfaces P, R, N, 3, 2 and 1 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for engagingthe selector pin 17 and securing the master lever 14 in selected angularpositions corresponding to the various ranges. The selector pin 17 isbiased into engagement with the surfaces by means of an elastic element,such as a compression spring 20, which is carried by the master lever 14and which extends between a forward protrusion 14a thereon and theselector pin 17. An operating trigger 21 is mounted on the master lever14 and extends through the spring 20 and is con nected to the selectorpin 17 for displacing the pin 17 against its bias to engage the pin 17with the various positioning surfaces. In the illustrated embodiment,the surfaces N and 3 are upwardly concave and are separated by a cusp 23so that when the master lever 14 is shifted between these positions, theselector pin 17 is cammed against its bias as it traverses the cusp 23.The surfaces 1 and 2 are each located at different elevations withrespect to the surfaces N and 3. Thus, in order to shift from theneutral or third range and to the first and second ranges, the pin 17must be displaced upwardly against its bias by the trigger 21 while themaster lever 14 is being pivoted in a clockwise direction. Shifting fromthe neutral range and into reverse range is similarly effected when thetrigger 21 is raised and the master lever 14 is pivoted in thecounterclockwise direction.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the latching surface P corresponding to the parkposition is provided in the frame 16 forwardly of the reverse rangesurface R, and a slot 25 is provided in the frame 16 for permitting theselector pin 17 to be displaced into engagement with the P surface andlatched. A camming surface 26 is also provided on the frame 16 andinclined with respect to the slot 25 to cam the selector pin 17 into thepark latching position when the trigger 21 is held in its uppermostlimit position while the master shift lever 14 is pivoted forwardly orcounterclockwise (FIG., 1). Preferably, a pointer (not shown) isprovided on the secondary lever 14 to cooperate with indicia located ona shift console inside the drivers compartment to provide a visualindication of the speed range in which the transmission is placed.

As described thus far, the shiftingapparatus operates in an essentiallyconventional manner. Hence, when the driver desires the transmission toshift automatically, he places it in the third or drive position.However, when the driver wants to shift the transmission manually fromfirst through third forward speed ranges, he raises the trigger 21 andpivots the master shift lever 14 rearwardly into the full line positionindicated in FIG. 1. In this position, the selector pin 17 engages thesurface 1 on the frame 16. The transmission is shifted into the secondspeed range when the master shift lever 14 is displaced forwardly aslight distance to cause the selector pin 17 to engage the surface 2.The transmission is shifted into third and neutral ranges in a similarmanner.

During competition driving, it is difficult for the driver to displacethe master shift lever 14 the slight distance required to shift thetransmission while steering the automobile. Thus, there exists thepossibility of his inadvertently shifting the transmission intoundesired speed ranges. For instance, it is not uncommon for the driverto displace the shift lever 14 too great a distance to cause thetransmission to overshift from first range to third or neutral. In suchevent, the missed shift would probably cause the driver to lose thecompetition event and possibly damage the transmission. Also, in certainshifters, it is possible for the driver to undershift and thereby damagethe transmission.

The foregoing disadvantages of conventional shifters are completelyeliminated by the present invention,

which provides a shifter which is capable of operating in either theconventional mode or in a rapid shift or racing mode. When in the racingmode, the shifter of the present invention is designed to displace theshift arm 12 of the transmission 11 accurately from the first range andinto the second, third and neutral ranges upon sequential operation ofthe master shift lever 14 in only one direction.

To this end, a primary shift lever 30 is associated with the mastershift lever 14 and the secondary shift lever 15, and the primary lever30 is connected through an indexing assembly 31 to the lower end of thetransmission shift arm 12. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the primarylever 30 is mounted to the frame 16 to pivot coaxially with the othershift levers 14 and 15. As illustrated in FIG. 4, both the primary lever30 and the secondary lever depend through an aperture 13a in the floor13 of the automobile, and the lower end of each lever 30 and 15 islaterally offset so that each is aligned properly with the shift arm 12on the transmission. Like the'secondary shift lever 15, the primaryshift lever 30 has an upwardly open recess 30a at its upper end (FIG. 3)for receiving the selector pin 17 to couple the master lever 14therewith. When so coupled, pivotal movement of the master lever 14rearwardly between its initial position (illustrated partially in brokenlines in FIG. 1) and its terminal position (illustrated substantially inbroken lines therein) causes the indexing assembly 31 to actuate theshift arm 12 and to displace the arm 12 in increments in the clockwisedirection upon repeated pivotal movement of the master lever 14 in therearward direction. Upshifting occurs when the master lever 14 is pulledfully rearward or rightward as illustrated in'FIG. 1.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the indexing assembly 31 comprises ahousing 32 which is mounted to the transmission 11 in proximity to theshift arm 12. An elongated slideelement 33 having a rectangularcrosssection is mounted to slide longitudinally in the housing 32, andthe ends of the slide element 33 extend out of the housing 32. The leftend of the slide element 33 is pivotally connected by means of a link 34to the lower end of the shift arm 12 and to the side of the pivot axisopposite the connected other end.

In order to displace the slide element 33 longitudinally in its housing32, gripping means is provided and is connected to the primary shiftlever 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the gripping means includes aseries of recesses 31-2, 31-3, and 31-N, which are spaced apart in theupper surface of the slide element 33 and which correspond to theintermediate transmission speed ranges, second, third and neutral,respectively. The recesses are selectively engaged by means of a pawl 35which is pivotally mounted in a carriage 36 mounted in the housing 32 toslide above and alongside the slide element 33. As may be seen in FIG.6, the carriage is U-shaped in plan and mounts the pawl 35 by means of apivot pin 37. The pawl 35 has a nose portion 35a which extends forwardlyor toward the shift arm 12 from the pivot pin 37 for engaging in therecesses in the slide element 33, and the pawl 35 has an upstandingportion 35b which projects upwardly at a substantially right angle withrespect to the nose portion 35a and through a slot 32a in the housing32. The upper end of the upstanding portion 35 b of the pawl 35 iscoupled to the lower end of the primary shift lever 30 by means of aconnecting link 38. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the connecting link 38extends substantially parallel to the path of movement of the slideelement 33. Thus, when the master lever 14 is coupled with the primaryshift lever 30 by the selector pin 17 and is pivoted rearwardly from itsinitial position, the link 38 moves longitudinally to pivot the nose 35aof the pawl 35 downwardly into the recess 31-2 which is underlyingregistry therewith. Further rearward movement of the master lever 14displaces the slide 33 forwardly to operate through the connecting link34 to pivot the shift arm 12.

In order to limit the displacement of the slide element 33 and to arrestits motion when the shift from first to second range is completed,stopping means is provided. In the present invention, the stopping meansincludes a threaded element 40 which is mounted in the housing 32 in thepath of movement of the carriage 36 to engage the carriage 36 when ithas traveled a predetermined distance in the housing 32. Thus, when thepawl 35 is engaged with the slide element 33 forward motion of the slideelement 33 is arrested when the carriage 36 strikes the stop 40. I

In the course of shifting in the racing mode,'the slide element 33 isaccelerated rapidly and is decelerated rapidly when the carriage 36strikes the stop 40. Inertia forces on the slide element 33 areultimately resisted by the pawl 35, and in order to preventdisengagement of the pawl 35 from the slide element 33, surface means isprovided on the slide element 33 and the nose 35a of the pawl 35. Asbest seen in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the surface means includes an internalsurface 31-2a, 31-3a, and 31-Na in each recess disposed normal to thepath of movement of the slide element 33. A complementary surface 350 isprovided on the rearward face of the depending part of the noseportion35a of the pawl 35. The surfaces in the recesses matingly engagethe surface 35c of the pawl 35 and operate to prevent inertia forcesfrom causing the pawl 35 to disengage the slide element 33 when forwardmotion of the slide element 33 is arrested by the stop 40. As a result,possible overshifting of the transmission, which may otherwise occur, isprevented.

At the completion of a shift, for instance, from first to second range,the pawl 35 is disengaged from the slide element 33 and the master shiftlever 14 is returned to its initial position (see FIG. 1). For thispurpose, means is provided to bias the nose 35a of the pawl 35 out ofengagement with the slide element 33 and to bias the master shift lever14 into its initial position. In the illustrated embodiment, therequired biasing action is provided by means of an extension spring 41which is connected to the lower end of the primary shift lever 30 and toa hook 44 on the underside of the floor 13. The extension spring 41 thusbiases the master shift lever 14 and the primary shift lever 30counterclockwise and the pawl 35 clockwise to caus'ethe pawl 35 todisengage the slide element 33 at the completion of a shift.

Moreover, the spring 41 operates to return the pawl 35 and its carriage36 to a home position, as illustrated in FIG. 1, for re-engagement withanother recess upon initiation of the next upshift. The top of the noseportion 35a of the pawl 35 slides on the inside of the top of thehousing 32 to ensure that the bottom thereof is clear of the slide 33.Rearward movement of the pawl 35 and its carriage 36 in the housing 32is limited by means of a stop 42 which is provided by an endwall of thehousing 32 and which is spaced from the stop 40 and located in the pathof movement of the carriage 36.

A supplemental adjustable stop 43 (FIG. 1) is provided on the frame 16to engage the master shift lever 14 when displaced into its terminalposition. The supplemental stop 43 is adjusted to engage the mastershift lever 14 substantially simultaneously with the engagement of thecarriage 36 with its forward stop 40. Thus, loads on each stop 40 and 43are divided, and possible bending of the connecting link 38 isprevented.

For the purpose of preventing the slide element 33 from displacing theshift arm 12 of the transmission 11 into the reverse range position Rupon repeated pivotal movement of the master shift lever 14, the slideelement 33 is provided with a substantially smooth surface 33aconfronting the nose 35a of the pawl and extending rearwardly, orrightward in FIG. 1, away from the last recess 31-N in the series. Thus,when the shift arm 12 is pivoted into its neutral position, the recess31-N is located adjacent the stop 40, and further actuation ofthe mastershift lever 14 causes the nose 35a of the pawl 35 to engage the smoothsurface 33a and to slide thereon without gripping the slide element 33.As a result, it is not possible for the shift arm 12 to be pivoted intoits reverse range position while the shifter is in its racing mode.

The shifter 10 is capable of being placed readily in either theconventional or racing modes. To this end, as best seen in FIG. 2, theprimary and secondary shift levers 15 and 30 are angulated with respectto one another to cause their recesses 15a and 30a, respectively, to bespaced one from the other, with the recess 30a in the primary shiftlever 30 being located rearwardly of the recess 15a in the secondaryshift lever 15. The master shift lever 14 is coupled with and uncoupledfrom the primary and secondary shift levers 30 and 15, respectively,when the trigger 21 is displaced upwardly to engage the selector pin 17at the upper terminus of the slots 14a, 14a in the bifurcations 14b,14b, and the master shift lever 14 is pivoted forwardly or rearwardlyrelative to theprimary and secondary shift levers.

In order to prevent the selector pin 17 from improperly engaging theprimary and secondary shift levers, for example, to prevent the selectorpin 17 from engaging behind the primary shift lever 30, the shift levershave extensions or spurs 45a and 4512 which project upwardly beyond therecess 30a and 15a, respectively, and substantially radially outwardfrom the pivot axis of the master lever 14. Each extension 45a and 45bterminates at a location corresponding substantially to the upperterminii of the slots 14a, 14a in the master lever (see FIG. 2). Withthis structure, the extensions 45a and 45b prevent the selector pin 17from being engaged behind the primary lever 30 or ahead of the secondarylever 15 during uncoupling and coupling of the master shift lever 14therewith.

For the purpose of cooperating with the rear stop 42 to arrest movementof the master lever 14 when returning to its initial position under theinfluence of the biasing spring 41, an upstanding abutment 46 isprovided on the frame 16 rearwardly adjacent the first range positioningsurface 1. The abutment 46 is located in the path of movement of theselector pin 17 when engaged in its recess 30a in the primary shiftlever 30. As best seen in FIG. 2, the abutment 46 terminates outwardlyof the pivot axis of the shift levers at a location which is insubstantial registry with the terminus ofa companion extension 450 whichis spaced from the extension 45a and defines the recess 30atherebetween. The distance between the terminus of the abutment 46 andthe terminii of the slots 14a, 14a is sized to permit passage of theselector pin 17 into the recess 30a when the trigger 21 is held upwardlyin its upper limit position and the master shift lever 14 is pulledrearwardly. Thus, when the primary shift lever 30 is coupled with themaster lever 14 and the master lever 14 is released by the driver aftercompleting an upshift, the spring 41 pivots the master lever 14forwardly until the selector pin 17 engages the abutment 46 and the pawlcarriage 36 substantially simultaneously engages its rear stop 42. Withthis structure, impact loads on the stop 42 and the abutment 46 aredivided.

It may be desirable on occasions, when the shifter 14 is in its racingmode, for the driver to change to the conventional mode after havingmade one or more upshifts. For instance, if the driver were to upshiftfrom first to second ranges and then decide to change the shifter 10 tooperate it in its conventional mode, it is essential that some means beprovided to ensure that the recess 15a in the secondary shift lever 15be in the proper location to. receive the selector pin 17 whenthetransition between modes is occurring. In the present invention, thesecondary shift lever 15 moves in synchronism with the movement of theprimary shift lever 30 and the shift arm 12 through the interconnectionof the rigid link 19 with the shift arm 12. However, the slide element33 slides freely in the housing 32 when the shift arm 12 is beingpivoted upon movement of the secondary shift lever 15 when coupled withthe master lever 14 in the conventional mode.

In order to ensure that the selector pin 17 does not engage behind thesecondary lever 15 during the transition, a guard surface 50 is providedon the secondary lever 15. As best seen in FIG. 2,.the guard surface 50(FIG. 2) is located outwardly of the pivot axis of the levers a radialdistance greater than the corresponding distances of the positioningsurfaces R, N, 3, 2 and 1. The guard surface 50 extends rearwardly in anarc away from the recess 15a to terminate adjacent the companionextension 450 on the primary shift lever 30. with this structure, theguardsurface 50 prevents the selector pin 17 from engaging any of theposition surfaces behind the secondary lever 15 and possibly causing thedriver to shift inadvertently into an undesired speed range.

In use in the conventional mode, the selector pin 17 couples the masterlever 14 with the secondary lever 15, and displacement of the masterlever 14 forwardly from its full line position in FIG. 1 causes thetransmission to upshift from first through third and into neutral rangeswhen the master lever is simply pushed forwardly. The transmission isshifted into park, reverse and second or first ranges when the trigger21 is held upwardly and the master lever 14 is pivoted in the properdirection.

When it is desired to place the shifter 10 in the racing mode forcompetition driving, the trigger 21 is held in its upper limit positionand the master lever 14 is pulled rearwardly until the driver feels theselector pin 17 engage the extension 45a on the primary lever 30.Preferably, the transition takes place after the transmission has beenplaced in its first range position while in the conventional mode. Thetrigger 21 is then released and the spring biases the pin 17 into therecess 30a. The shifter is ready for rapid shifting.

Rapid upshifting from first to second occurs when the master lever 14 ispulled rearwardly and released (see FIG. 1). This causes the pawl 35 toengage the slide element 33 and to displace the slide element 33longitudinally in the housing to pivot the shift arm 12 clockwise. Whenthe master lever 14 is released, the spring 41 causes the pawl todisengage the slide element 33 and pivots the master lever 14 to itsinitial position. Thus, the pawl 35 is returned to its home position, asillustrated in FIG. 1, for re-engaging the slide element 33 forsucceeding upshifts. The transmission 11 may be shifted upwardly in thismanner until the transmission has been placed in the neutral range. Asnoted heretofore, the shifter may be returned to the conventional modeat any time; however, it is preferable to make the transition when thetransmission is in neutral after rapidly upshifting and while theautomobile is moving at a relatively high speed.

In view of the foregoing, it should be apparent that the presentinvention provides anovel shifter for use with automatic transmissionsto'upshift the transmission rapidly when in a racing modeor to shift thetransmission in the customary manner when in a conventional mode.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been describedin detail, various modifications, alterations and changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Transmission shifting apparatus, comprising a shift arm pivotable onan axis between at least two positions corresponding to differenttransmission output speed ranges, means for displacing said shift armfrom one position to the other, including: a primary shift lever mountedto pivot between initial and terminal positions on another axis; andindexing means cooperable with said primary shift lever and said shiftarm to pivot said arm in one direction from one position to the otherupon pivotal movement of said primary shift lever, said indexing meansincluding a slide element; means connecting said slide element to saidshift arm to cause said shift arm topivot upon displacement of saidslide element; gripping means connected to said shift lever andengageable with said slide element upon pivotal movement of said shiftlever in one direction about its axis and from its initial position fordisplacing said slide element; stop means associated with said grippingmeans to limit displacement of said gripping means and said slideengaged therewith upon continued pivotal movement of said shift lever insaid one direction toward its terminal position; and biasing means forpivoting said shift lever in the opposite direction toward its initialposition and about its axis to enable said gripping means to disengagesaid slide and to return said gripping means to a home position forre-engagement with said slide upon pivotal movement of said shift leveragain from its initial position. i

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said gripping means includes ahousing slidably mounting said slide element, a carriage mounted in saidhousing to slide alongside said slide element, and a pawl mounted topivot on an axis in said carriage for engaging said slide element andcoupling said carriage and slide element to move together in saidhousing.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said slide element has atleast one recess confronting said pawl, and said pawl has a nose portionextending away from the pivot axis of the pawl and toward said shift armand has a link portion extending away from the pivot axis of the pawland at an angle with respect to said nose portion, and said grippingmeans including means coupling said link portion to said shift lever,whereby pivotal movement of said shift lever displaces said couplingmeans and pivots said link portion of said pawl to cause said noseportion of said pawl to engage in said recess for coupling said pawlandcarriage and slide so that continued pivotal movement of said shiftlever in said one direction pivots said shift arm from one position tothe other.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein link portion of said pawl isdisposed transversely to the path of movement of said slide and saidcoupling means extends between said link portion and said shift leverand substantially parallel to said path of movement of said slide, andsaid shift lever biasing means including a spring connected to saidshift lever for biasing said shift lever toward its initial position andpivoting said pawl about its axis for disengaging said recess.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said shift arm is sequentiallymovable from a first position corresponding to a first forward speedrange through intermediate positions corresponding to at least secondand third forward speed ranges and a neutral range and movable into areverse speed range, and wherein said slide has a series of recessescorresponding in number to said intermediate ranges, said recesses beingspaced one from the other in said slide element with the recess locatedremote from said shift arm corresponding to said neutral range, saidslide element having a substantially smooth surface extending away fromthe remote recess in said series and confronting said pawl, so that whensaid slide element displaces said shift arm into its neutral range uponsequential pivotal movement of said primary shift lever, additionalpivotal movement of said primary shift lever causes the pawl to engagesaid surface and to slide thereon to prevent further displacement ofsaid slide element whereby inadvertent shifting into reverse range isprevented.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 including surface means on said pawland said slide in said recess engageable upon rapid displacement of saidprimary shift lever into its terminal position to prevent disengagementof said pawl from said recess due to-inertia forces on said slideelement.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said surface means includes aninternal surface in said recess disposed substantially normal to thepath of movement of said slide and between the nose portion and pivotaxis of said pawl, and an external surface on said nose portion of saidpawl matingly engaging said internal surface when said nose portion isin said recess, whereby the pawl arrests inertial movement of the slideelement.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said stop means includes aforward stop member mounted in said housing in the path of movement ofsaid carriage for engaging said carriage and arresting movement of saidcarriage and slide when said shift arm is shifted into its otherposition.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said stop means furtherincludes a rearward stop member spaced from said forward member andlocated in the path of movement of said carriage for engaging saidcarriage and arresting movement of said carriage when said primary shiftlever is returned by said biasing means to its initial position from itsterminal position.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said shift arm extends inopposite directions away from its pivot axis, and including meanspivotallyfastening said slide element connecting means to said shift armto one side of its axis to cause said shift arm to pivot in said onedirection upon displacement of said primary shift lever, a secondaryshift lever associated with said primary shift lever, and connectinglinkage means coupling said secondary shift lever to said shift arm onthe other side of its pivot axis, so that said secondary shift levercauses said shift arm to pivot in the opposite direction for effectingchanges in said speed ranges.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 including a master shift leverassociated with said primary and secondary shift levers, frame meansmounting said master shift lever to pivot relative to said primary andsecondary shift levers, and selector means carried by said master shiftlever for selectively coupling said master shift lever with said primaryand secondary shift levers so that a shifting action is effected upondisplacement of said master shift lever and through a selected one ofsaid primary and secondary shift levers.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said shift levers aremounted to said frame to pivot and wherein said selector means includesmeans providing a recess in each primary and secondary shift leverremote from their pivot'axes, a selector pin selectively engagable insaid recesses, and means mounting said selector pin for displacementrelative to said master shift lever.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said selector pin mountingmeans includes bifurcations on said master lever straddling said primaryand secondary levers, an elongated slot in each of said bifurcationsextending outwardly from the pivot axis of said master lever forslidably receiving said selector pin, elastic means carried on saidmaster lever and connected to said selector pin for biasing saidselector pin into said recesses to couple said master lever securely toa selected one of said primary and secondary shift levers, and includingan operator mounted to said master shift lever for displacing saidselector pin against its bias for selectively coupling and decouplingsaid pin with said primary and secondary shift levers.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said master lever and saidprimary and secondary shift levers are mounted to said frame to pivot ona common axis and each of said primary and secondary shift levers has anextension extending outwardly of their pivot axis to a locationcorresponding substantially to the outermost terminus of the slot ineach bifurcation, so that when said pin is displaced into its outerlimit position in the slots, the shift lever extensions cooperate toprevent the pin from being displaced beyond the primary and secondaryshift levers upon pivotal movement of the master shift lever inalternate directions.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 including means providing acompanion extension on said primary shift lever a spaced lateraldistance from said firstmentioned extension thereon to definetherebetween said recess, said companion extension terminating radiallyinward of the terminus of said first-mentioned extension a distancesufficient to permit passage of said pin into said recess when engagedat the terminus of its slots, and including abutment means carried bysaid frame and located outwardly of the commonpivot axis and insubstantial registry with said companion extension when said primaryshift lever is in its initial position, said abutment means beinglocated in the path of movement of said selector means to arrest motionof said master lever and primary shift lever when returning to itsinitial position.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11 including means mounting saidprimary and secondary shift levers to pivot relative to one another andsaid master shift lever, said primary and secondary shift levers beingangulated with respect to one another in a plane normal to their pivotaxis, said frame having a series of positioning surfaces eachcorresponding to a different transmission range and engagable by saidselector means while coupled with said secondary shift lever, saidposition surfaces being located outwardly of said pivot axes andintermediate said axes and said selector means, and including guardmeans carried by said secondary shift lever and located outwardly ofsaid axes a distance greater than the corresponding distance of saidpositioning surfaces, said guard means extending toward said primaryshift lever from said secondary shift lever, so that when the selectormeans is disengaged from the primary shift lever for engagement with thesecondary shift lever, the guard means engages the selector means andprevents said selector means from engaging positioning surfacescorresponding to speed ranges other than the range into which thetransmission was last shifted by the primary shift lever.

17. Apparatus accordingto claim 16 wherein said frame has a latch spacedfrom said series of index surfaces for receiving said selector meanswhen said master lever is coupled with said secondary shift lever, saidlatch releasably securing said master lever in a position correspondingto a transmission locking position, and including camming means on saidframe engagable by said selector means to urge said selector means intosaid latch upon displacement of said master shift lever in a directiontoward said latch.

18. Transmission shifting apparatus, comprising a shift arm pivotable onan axis between at least two positions corresponding to differenttransmission output speed ranges, means for displacing said shift armfrom one position to the other, including: a primary shift lever mountedto pivot between initial and terminal positions on another axis; andindexing means cooperable with said primary shift lever and said shiftarm to pivot said arm in one direction from one position to the otherupon pivotal movement of said primary shift lever, said indexing meansincluding a displacement element; means connecting the displaceableelement to said shift arm to cause said shift arm to pivot upondisplacement of said displaceable element; gripping means connected tosaid shift lever and engagable with said displaceable element uponpivotal movement of said shift lever in one direction about its axis andfrom its initial position for displacing said displaceable element; stopmeans associated with said gripping means to limit displacement of saidgripping means and said displaceable element engaged therewith uponcontinued pivotal movement of said shift lever in said one directiontoward its terminal position; complementary stop means for arrestingmovement of said primary shift lever at its initial position when saidprimary shift lever is displaced in the opposite direction aftereffecting displacement of said shift arm, a master lever associated withsaid primary shift lever, frame means mounting said master lever topivot relative to said primary shift lever, and selector means carriedby said master shift lever for selectively coupling said master leverwith said primary lever and uncoupling said master lever from saidprimary lever.

1. Transmission shifting apparatus, comprising a shift arm pivotable onan axis between at least two positions corresponding to differenttransmission output speed ranges, means for displacing said shift armfrom one position to the other, including: a primary shift lever mountedto pivot between initial and terminal positions on another axis; andindexing means cooperable with said primary shift lever and said shiftarm to pivot said arm in one direction from one position to the otherupon pivotal movement of said primary shift lever, said indexing meansincluding a slide element; means connecting said slide element to saidshift arm to cause said shift arm to pivot upon displacement of saidslide element; gripping means connected to said shift lever andengageable with said slide element upon pivotal movement of said shiftlever in one direction about its axis and from its initial position fordisplacing said slide element; stop means associated with said grippingmeans to limit displacement of said gripping means and said slideengaged therewith upon continued pivotal movement of said shift lever insaid one direction toward its terminal position; and biasing means forpivoting said shift lever in the opposite direction toward its initialposition and about its axis to enable said gripping means to disengagesaid slide and to return said gripping means to a home position forre-engagement with said slide upon pivotal movement of said shift leveragain from its initial position.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1wherein said gripping means includes a housing slidably mounting saidslide element, a carriage mounted in said housing to slide alongsidesaid slide element, and a pawl mounted to pivot on an axis in saidcarriage for engaging said slide element and coupling said carriage andslide element to move together in said housing.
 3. Apparatus accordingto claim 2 wherein said slide element has at least one recessconfronting said pawl, and said pawl has a nose portion extending awayfrom the pivot axis of the pawl and toward said shift arm and has a linkportion extending away from the pivot axis of the pawl and at an anglewith respect to said nose portion, and said gripping means includingmeans coupling said link portion to said shift lever, whereby pivotalmovement of said shift lever displaces said coupling means and pivotssaid link portion of said pawl to cause said nose portion of said pawlto engage in said recess for coupling said pawl and carriage and slideso that continued pivotal movement of said shift lever in said onedirection pivots said shift arm from one position to the other. 4.Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein link portion of said pawl isdisposed transversely to the path of movement of said slide and saidcoupling means extends between said link portion and said shift leverand substantially parallel to said path of movement of said slide, andsaid shift lever biasing means including a spring connected to saidshift lever for biasing said shift lever toward its initial position andpivoting said pawl about its axis for disengaging said recess. 5.Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said shift arm is sequentiallymovable from a first position corresponding to a first forward speedrange through intermediate positions corresponding to at least secondand third forward speed ranges and a neutral range and movable into areverse speed range, and wherein said slide has a series of recessescorresponding in number to said intermediate ranges, said recesses beingspaced one from the other in said slide element with the recess locatedremote from said shift arm corresponding to said neutral range, saidslide element having a substantially smooth surface extending away fromthe remote recess in said series and confronting said pawl, so that whensaid slide element displaces said shift arm into its neutral range uponsequential piVotal movement of said primary shift lever, additionalpivotal movement of said primary shift lever causes the pawl to engagesaid surface and to slide thereon to prevent further displacement ofsaid slide element whereby inadvertent shifting into reverse range isprevented.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 3 including surface means onsaid pawl and said slide in said recess engagable upon rapiddisplacement of said primary shift lever into its terminal position toprevent disengagement of said pawl from said recess due to inertiaforces on said slide element.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 whereinsaid surface means includes an internal surface in said recess disposedsubstantially normal to the path of movement of said slide and betweenthe nose portion and pivot axis of said pawl, and an external surface onsaid nose portion of said pawl matingly engaging said internal surfacewhen said nose portion is in said recess, whereby the pawl arrestsinertial movement of the slide element.
 8. Apparatus according to claim2 wherein said stop means includes a forward stop member mounted in saidhousing in the path of movement of said carriage for engaging saidcarriage and arresting movement of said carriage and slide when saidshift arm is shifted into its other position.
 9. Apparatus according toclaim 8 wherein said stop means further includes a rearward stop memberspaced from said forward member and located in the path of movement ofsaid carriage for engaging said carriage and arresting movement of saidcarriage when said primary shift lever is returned by said biasing meansto its initial position from its terminal position.
 10. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein said shift arm extends in oppositedirections away from its pivot axis, and including means pivotallyfastening said slide element connecting means to said shift arm to oneside of its axis to cause said shift arm to pivot in said one directionupon displacement of said primary shift lever, a secondary shift leverassociated with said primary shift lever, and connecting linkage meanscoupling said secondary shift lever to said shift arm on the other sideof its pivot axis, so that said secondary shift lever causes said shiftarm to pivot in the opposite direction for effecting changes in saidspeed ranges.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 including a mastershift lever associated with said primary and secondary shift levers,frame means mounting said master shift lever to pivot relative to saidprimary and secondary shift levers, and selector means carried by saidmaster shift lever for selectively coupling said master shift lever withsaid primary and secondary shift levers so that a shifting action iseffected upon displacement of said master shift lever and through aselected one of said primary and secondary shift levers.
 12. Apparatusaccording to claim 11 wherein said shift levers are mounted to saidframe to pivot and wherein said selector means includes means providinga recess in each primary and secondary shift lever remote from theirpivot axes, a selector pin selectively engagable in said recesses, andmeans mounting said selector pin for displacement relative to saidmaster shift lever.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein saidselector pin mounting means includes bifurcations on said master leverstraddling said primary and secondary levers, an elongated slot in eachof said bifurcations extending outwardly from the pivot axis of saidmaster lever for slidably receiving said selector pin, elastic meanscarried on said master lever and connected to said selector pin forbiasing said selector pin into said recesses to couple said master leversecurely to a selected one of said primary and secondary shift levers,and including an operator mounted to said master shift lever fordisplacing said selector pin against its bias for selectively couplingand decoupling said pin with said primary and secondary shift levers.14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said master lever and saidprimary and secondary shift levers are mounted to said frame to pivot ona common axis and each of said primary and secondary shift levers has anextension extending outwardly of their pivot axis to a locationcorresponding substantially to the outermost terminus of the slot ineach bifurcation, so that when said pin is displaced into its outerlimit position in the slots, the shift lever extensions cooperate toprevent the pin from being displaced beyond the primary and secondaryshift levers upon pivotal movement of the master shift lever inalternate directions.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 14 includingmeans providing a companion extension on said primary shift lever aspaced lateral distance from said first-mentioned extension thereon todefine therebetween said recess, said companion extension terminatingradially inward of the terminus of said first-mentioned extension adistance sufficient to permit passage of said pin into said recess whenengaged at the terminus of its slots, and including abutment meanscarried by said frame and located outwardly of the common pivot axis andin substantial registry with said companion extension when said primaryshift lever is in its initial position, said abutment means beinglocated in the path of movement of said selector means to arrest motionof said master lever and primary shift lever when returning to itsinitial position.
 16. Apparatus according to claim 11 including meansmounting said primary and secondary shift levers to pivot relative toone another and said master shift lever, said primary and secondaryshift levers being angulated with respect to one another in a planenormal to their pivot axis, said frame having a series of positioningsurfaces each corresponding to a different transmission range andengagable by said selector means while coupled with said secondary shiftlever, said position surfaces being located outwardly of said pivot axesand intermediate said axes and said selector means, and including guardmeans carried by said secondary shift lever and located outwardly ofsaid axes a distance greater than the corresponding distance of saidpositioning surfaces, said guard means extending toward said primaryshift lever from said secondary shift lever, so that when the selectormeans is disengaged from the primary shift lever for engagement with thesecondary shift lever, the guard means engages the selector means andprevents said selector means from engaging positioning surfacescorresponding to speed ranges other than the range into which thetransmission was last shifted by the primary shift lever.
 17. Apparatusaccording to claim 16 wherein said frame has a latch spaced from saidseries of index surfaces for receiving said selector means when saidmaster lever is coupled with said secondary shift lever, said latchreleasably securing said master lever in a position corresponding to atransmission locking position, and including camming means on said frameengagable by said selector means to urge said selector means into saidlatch upon displacement of said master shift lever in a direction towardsaid latch.
 18. Transmission shifting apparatus, comprising a shift armpivotable on an axis between at least two positions corresponding todifferent transmission output speed ranges, means for displacing saidshift arm from one position to the other, including: a primary shiftlever mounted to pivot between initial and terminal positions on anotheraxis; and indexing means cooperable with said primary shift lever andsaid shift arm to pivot said arm in one direction from one position tothe other upon pivotal movement of said primary shift lever, saidindexing means including a displaceable element; means connecting thedisplaceable element to said shift arm to cause said shift arm to pivotupon displacement of said displaceable element; gripping means connectedto said shift lever and engagable with said displaceable element uponpivotal movement of said shift lever in one directIon about its axis andfrom its initial position for displacing said displaceable element; stopmeans associated with said gripping means to limit displacement of saidgripping means and said displaceable element engaged therewith uponcontinued pivotal movement of said shift lever in said one directiontoward its terminal position; complementary stop means for arrestingmovement of said primary shift lever at its initial position when saidprimary shift lever is displaced in the opposite direction aftereffecting displacement of said shift arm, a master lever associated withsaid primary shift lever, frame means mounting said master lever topivot relative to said primary shift lever, and selector means carriedby said master shift lever for selectively coupling said master leverwith said primary lever and uncoupling said master lever from saidprimary lever.